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Daily News - 26 March 2001
President Mejia in Taiwan
President Hipolito Mejia met with President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan and participated in the official welcoming ceremony in northern China. President Mejia is on a five-day official visit to Taiwan. As part of the protocol, the statesmen exchanged decorations. President Chen Shui-bian awarded President Mejia the Order of the Bright Star, Grand Cord, for his relevant contributions. And President Mejia decorated the Taiwanese statesman with the highest Dominican decoration, that of the Order of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella, Grand Gold Cross. During the ceremony, President Shui-bian highlighted the friendship that has led to cooperation, ideas and opinion exchanges of much interest to both nations. In turn, President Mejia pointed out that Taiwan has been a true source of inspiration, information, cooperation and solidarity.
"Returning to Taiwan, the Formosa of our childhood days, I am sure to find the encouragement, the decided and opportune support for all our ideas, plans, projects that can apply to Dominican national development," said Mejia.
Mejia has traveled to Taiwan about 20 times in the past, on both private business and during his term as Minister of Agriculture during the late Presient Antonio Guzman's administration (1978-1982). For Taiwan news service online reports on the trip, see
http://www.chinatimes.com.tw//english/epolitic/90032507.htm
http://210.71.181.201/index-e.html
Jet Skiing again banned in Punta Cana
The Ministry of Tourism has reinstated the ban on the use of jet skis in the Punta Cana-Bavaro beach areas. Resolution 05-2001 of the Ministry of Tourism nullifies its Resolution 02-2001 issued on 8 January 2001. Jet ski use is now banned on the beaches located from Punta Cana to Boca de Maimon, Macao and Uvero Alto. This had been requested by hoteliers in the area who are concerned about the safety of their guests.
The Ministry did not outlaw the use of jet skis in other areas of the country.
Beaches for people during Easter
As per Resolution 03/2001, the Ministry of Tourism announced that the use of jet skis, wave runners, motor boats, horses, motorcycles and vehicles is banned at most Dominican beaches for Easter Week. The ban affects all beaches, including Boca Chica, Playa Caribe, Guayacanes, Juan Dolio, Isla Catalina, Bayahibe, Saona, Punta Cana, Bavaro, Samana, Cayo Levantado, Las Galeras, Las Terrenas, Matanzas, Matancita, Los Gringos, El Caleton, Playa Grande, Cabarete, Sosua, Playa Dorada, Long Beach, Luperon, Punta Rucia, Los Patos, Playa Monte Rio, Palmar de Ocoa, Salinas, and Palenque. The ban is effective from Saturday, 7 April to Monday, 16 April.
The Easter Week prohibition has been on for many years to preserve the safety of beach goers. Easter Week is the peak of the beach-going season for Dominicans, and beaches are particularly full for the Easter long weekend.
Santo Domingo senator lashes out against power distributors
Senator for Santo Domingo Jose Antonio Najri said that power has become the big headache of the Dominican people. He complained that the two largest power distributors, Edenorte and Edesur justified the increase in their rates because of the hike in world oil prices. But these prices have been dropping, and still there have been no announcements of rate reductions. He criticized these companies for not behaving with the high business standards that are expected of them. Edenorte and Edesur are affiliates of Union Fenosa of Spain.
President says collecting is the distributors' problem
President Hipolito Mejia, interviewed in Taiwan, told journalists that power distributors need to resolve by themselves their difficulties in collecting for power delivered to customers. "I am not going to carry that burden," ("Yo no me voy a echar ese muerto encima"), said President Mejia.
A spokesman for Edeeste (an affiliate of AES), Manuel Lopez San Pablo, said government assistance is necessary during the transition. People in the barrios had not been billed for the service until privatization. The President has said that everyone has to pay. Even the barrios. But he says collecting is the responsibility of the distributors. The distributors, nevertheless, have had difficulties in collecting. Edesur and Edenorte, affiliates of Union Fenosa, declined comment.
The distributors accept it is their responsibility. Lopez said, "Because in certain areas of the DR the infrastructure and population conditions are critical, socially and politically, we understand that to confront the problem with success and in a sustainable manner, we need the support of society, meaning the government and the community leaders," said Lopez. He said that to improve the service, all consumers must pay. He said the companies cannot afford the losses from delivering power to people who do not pay. This situation is unsustainable, he said.
Not being able to collect from the slum areas, the companies have resorted to prolongued blackouts in areas with high concentrations of people who do not pay. This practice is protested by those who have started to pay.
Lopez said that the companies want to work with the government to find a gradual solution to the problem.
Latest government scandal revolves around real estate purchase
TV's investigative journalist par excellence, Nuria Piera, disclosed a big business deal carried out by Samuel Dario Núñez Guzmán and businessman Edmon Elias Barnichta Geara. The scandal revolves around the purchasing from the state of a 3,382 meter lot for RD$5 per meter (RD$16,940) and its resale days later for more than RD$1,000 per meter (RD$3,500,000), according to legal documents. The transaction took place in December 2000. Land in that area is appraised at RD$2,000 per meter, thus the market price for the lot was RD$6.7 million, according to a detailed report in the Listin Diario today reporting on the Channel 13 investigative journalism show.
As is her style, Nuria requested the confirmation of the sale from the authorities, Bienes Nacionales, the government organization that is in charge of government property. The director of the department, Victor Tió Fernandez said he was unaware of the case and would get back to the journalist. He did. Tió Fernandez in a letter denied the transaction having passed through his office and denied his signature on the document. He said there is no document in the archives of the institution indicating that the lot is property of the state.
The notary public that validated the document confirms that it is his signature. But Tio says his signature is being falsified and said he has notified the Police in writing of this. Chief of the Police Pedro de Jesus Candelier says he has not received a letter regarding this matter.
When asked, Acting President Milagros Ortiz Bosch said the matter was scandalous and referred the case to Guido Gomez Mazara, legal advisor to the Executive Branch. Attorney General Virgilio Bello Rosa said that he was ordering an investigation into the recent transactions of the Bienes Nacionales department.
Money crops produce less in 2000
The Dominican Center for the Promotion of Exports (Cedopex) reports that traditional exports were down 5% in 2000. Traditional exports include raw and refined sugar and the sugar by-products like molasses and furfural. Others are coffee, cocoa and tobacco. All together, these generated US$137.9 million in 2000, down from US$144.9 million in 1999.
Exports of non- traditional products were up 12.49%, although agroindustrial exports dropped 11%. Mining was up 64%.
Total exports were US$4,113.4 million, up 4.34% compared to 1999. Total non free zone export of goods reached US$762.9 million, up 20.39%. Free zone exports were up 1.26%.
India offers DR assistance
Ambassador Om Prakash Gupta of India says India would like to assist the Dominican Republic in several areas. These include small business development, banking, diplomacy, rural development, informatics, farming diversification and journalism. In an interview in El Siglo newspaper, the Indian ambassador said the offer was presented to the Dominican government through the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
The ambassador said India has a lot of experience in manufacturing processes for farm products. He mentioned the industrializing of coconut and cashew fruit. He said India has over 100 manufacturing plants that convert coconut into a wide range of products ranging from rugs to even contamination control products.
He explained India has a Program for Technical and Economic Cooperation that would channel the assistance to the DR. He said they are only awaiting an affirmative response from the Dominican government. Furthermore, Jay Nayar, president of the India Chamber of Commerce, told the newspaper that contacts have been made for a strategic alliance between Dominican and Indian information technology companies for their installation in the Santo Domingo Cyberpark. India is among the three largest providers of software development in the world.
Focus on Bush administration policies in Latin America
Fundacion Global Democracia y Desarrollo, presided over by former President Leonel Fernandez, is sponsoring a Wednesday-Thursday conference called "Bush Policies towards Latin America and the Caribbean" at the Hotel Coral Hamaca in Boca Chica. Speakers will be Peter Hakim, president of Inter-American Dialogue; Lowell Fleischer, of the Center of Strategic and International Studies, Washington; Ambler Moss, University of Miami; Lilia Bermudez of the Ministry of Foreign Relations of Mexico; Kurt Shuler, Economy committee of the US Congress; David Lewis, Manchester Trade; Bernardo Vega, former ambassador of the DR to the US; Flavio Dario Espinal, former ambassador of the DR before the OAS; and Eduardo Latorre, former Minister of Foreign Relations of the Dominican Republic.
Botando el Golpe to move on to Zol 106.5
Changes are coming to radio's most successful afternoon show, Jochi Santos' "Botando el Golpe." Five years ago, when the popular TV show producer started the radio program, he never envisioned its phenomenal success. When the radio station requested his permission back then to register the name, he gave them green light.
Now, Jochi Santos has accepted an offer he couldn't refuse to produce his program for Zol 106.5, a competing station. But the name of the show, "Botando el Golpe," stays with Rumba FM, the station for which he has been producing the program. The station says it will produce a similar kind of program for the 5 to 8 pm time slot.
The program's success is attributed to the fact that most of its listeners are making their way back home at that time, and enjoy the light humor and listener contributions that liven up the time commuters spend in traffic jams.
Jochi Santos says he will keep the style and segments of the program, but will surely add new material to the show that mixes humor and talk on what's happening in the DR and how people see different situations.
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